Broken

Chapter Five

I don't know how long I sat there.

By now most of my tears had stopped, but I couldn't stop sniffing, and I bet my face was red and puffy. I had stayed in the same position for so long, I bet my entire body would ache as soon as I moved.

I heard leaves rustling close by and my head immediately shot up.

Ouch. Yep, there it is.

I stared at the branches surrounding me, terrified of what was on the other side. There was more noise as someone pushed through the bushes, same as I'd done earlier.

A head poked through and I quickly recognized it as Jack.

"Nick? Finally, I've been looking everywhere." He slid through the branches, sitting close to me in the tight space. I scooted away slightly to give him room. I also tried to wipe at my eyes so it didn't look like I had been crying that much, but I knew it was useless.

"Why'd you run away, Nick?" He whispered. I looked away, eyes watering again. He only reminded me of what had happened. I wanted to forget.

"Look," He sighed. "I guess you don't have to talk to me. But I really hope you do. I'm really sorry for Lizzy and Max. I know they didn't want to hurt you... They are just a little over the top." He looked closely at me.

"What did happen?" His eyes widened. "Shoot! Sorry! You're not talking, that's okay." He looked down and toyed with a long grass weed. "I guess no one wanted to mention your face earlier, but we didn't realize that your stomach was hurt to. It is isn't it?" I shook my head slowly.

"Don't lie to me Nick!" He said rather loudly. I turned my head back, at his anger, rather surprised. He sighed deeply. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I'm just trying to talk to you. If you want I don't have to tell anyone about this. Will you talk to me then?"

I narrowed my eyes at his sudden smirk. "I would say that I'm a pretty cool guy when you get to know me... So how about it?" He wiggled his eyebrows and I couldn't stop the small smile that started on my face.

"Anything we talk about wont leave this place. I can even start talking. But you have to tell me the truth, okay?"

I nodded, "O-okay." My voice was rough from crying, but a grin threatened to crack his face in half.

"Okay!" He sat there smiling a minute, obviously thinking, but I couldn't tell what. "Oh, sorry, I'm starting. What do you want to start with? Me or you?"

I fell bad, but I still didn't want to tell him. I hoped I could get out of it by having him go first. "You."

"Well, okay. I don't really know what to say, because I stink at this sort of thing, but I can try. So, I think my favorite color today is blue, but it changes quite a bit. My neighbors have a big dog named Tank, who I watch a lot because they are always away, or he just wants to play. In my opinion, he likes me better, but I never tell them that." He smiled at this, and I couldn't help but smile too.

"My parents let me pretty much do anything I want, as long as I listen to them at the same time, so that's okay. And I know you met Lizzy." I nodded. "Yeah, she's my sister. Technically twin sister, but we're fraternally, so you can really see it." Now that he mentioned it, I could definitely see the resemblance. They had the same hair color, though his was a shade or two darker, and general face shape. The only difference was their eye color.

"What about you? Do you feel like talking now?" He studied me. I shrugged, sniffling a bit more. If you don't could you at least answer my questions?"

"Okay." I whispered.

"So did you get beat up?" He asked.

"Y-yeah, kinda." I said weakly,

"Who did it? Who would beat you up this bad?" He thought this was bad? He hasn't seen anything. But how could I tell Jack that my own father was beating me? How could I tell him that I felt nowhere was safe for me?

"Nobody." I said, shaking my head.

His voice was soft, "Please, just tell me. I'm here to help."

I'm not telling you because I don't want to lie to you. Please understand. "Not now. P-please, not now." My eyes were watering again at hurting Jack this way, hurting myself. No, I've just met him, I shouldn't care. He could be just like Lizzy.

"Then when? I don't mean to rush you, but if you don't talk to me how am I supposed to help? If you don't talk to me, what am I even doing here?"

"You don't have to be here." I said softly in response to his anger. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

"What? What do you mean used to it? Being left all alone?" All these questions were making my head hurt. I groaned softly putting my head in my hands. "If your not going to tell me, let me see." He said boldly. "I already know you get beat up, let me see how bad it is."

I looked up at him sharply. He wanted to- what? He was just like Lizzy! All he wanted was to-

Jack interrupted my thoughts. "No. I'm not like Lizzy. I care, I've seen people get beat up. Just let me help." I looked at him shocked. How did he- "You were talking to yourself. Obviously so deep in though you didn't notice."

"That's not-"

"Look, I'm trying not to be extremely repetitive, even though you are being insanely frustrating at the moment. And I know it's wrong to say that, because you were just crying and everything, and I'm here to stop that. But your not letting me in, and I'm an impatient person sometimes even though it's so, so rude, but I can't help myself and I feel really terrible... But I can't stop! I feel like its all my fault now because I'm trying to get you to talk, but you don't want to, and you're all sad and stuff. And I'm probably not even helping now! And I want to. I want to make you my friend, I want to help you with those people that are beating you up, but maybe it's just one person. But I wouldn't know that, right?! Because this is getting nowhere, and now-"

Jack rambled on. I cut him off with my hand, covering his mouth to stop the flow of words. "Stop." I mumbled, pretty unsure. "I get it. You want to help." I spoke slowly.

"But-"

"No, let me talk for once." I sighed. "I guess you really mean it if you stay after I only try and push you away."

He nodded enthusiastically.

"So, I guess I can talk to you. As long as you promise me that no one else will find out." I looked at him pleadingly.

He took a minute, but finally nodded slowly. "Okay, okay I guess I can keep a secret... But you have to tell me everything, no matter how hard it gets sometimes. Deal?" He asked.

I thought for a minute. I wasn't sure if I was prepared to tell someone, almost a stranger, everything about my life. I had never had someone to talk to, though. It might be nice, right?

"... Deal."